US3930549A - Protective guard assembly for track drive motors - Google Patents

Protective guard assembly for track drive motors Download PDF

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Publication number
US3930549A
US3930549A US05/524,075 US52407574A US3930549A US 3930549 A US3930549 A US 3930549A US 52407574 A US52407574 A US 52407574A US 3930549 A US3930549 A US 3930549A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
guard assembly
vehicle
frame
secured
pin connections
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US05/524,075
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English (en)
Inventor
Bobby D. Griffith
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Caterpillar Inc
Original Assignee
Caterpillar Tractor Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Caterpillar Tractor Co filed Critical Caterpillar Tractor Co
Priority to US05/524,075 priority Critical patent/US3930549A/en
Priority to CA229,870A priority patent/CA1019022A/en
Priority to BE1006830A priority patent/BE832501A/xx
Priority to FR7526701A priority patent/FR2291080A1/fr
Priority to BR7505900A priority patent/BR7505900A/pt
Priority to DE19752550398 priority patent/DE2550398A1/de
Priority to JP50135760A priority patent/JPS5929462B2/ja
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3930549A publication Critical patent/US3930549A/en
Assigned to CATERPILLAR INC., A CORP. OF DE. reassignment CATERPILLAR INC., A CORP. OF DE. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: CATERPILLAR TRACTOR CO., A CORP. OF CALIF.
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D55/00—Endless track vehicles
    • B62D55/08—Endless track units; Parts thereof
    • B62D55/084—Endless-track units or carriages mounted separably, adjustably or extensibly on vehicles, e.g. portable track units
    • B62D55/0845—Protection devices

Definitions

  • Hydraulically powered track-type vehicles such as hydraulic excavators, comprise a pair of track assemblies each driven by a separate drive motor. Each drive motor is secured to a respective track roller frame to extend inboard thereof and conduits are connected to the drive motors to selectively communicate hydraulic operating fluid thereto.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,598, assigned to the assignee of this application discloses a guard assembly for protecting the drive motors and conduits against any potential damage by their impact with rocks, stumps or the like.
  • Such a guard assembly must be dismantled when the vehicle is transported to a remote job site, requiring a narrowing of the gauge width between the track assemblies for transportation purposes.
  • a hydraulic excavator normally requires a substantial gauge width to increase its overall stability during earthworking operations and a narrower gauge width, as dictated by various governmental regulations, when such transportation occurs.
  • Such requirements are enumerated in U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 474,976 for "Gauge Width Adjustment Means for Track-Type Vehicles," filed on May 31, 1974 by Bobby D. Griffith and assigned to the assignee of this application.
  • An object of this invention is to provide a tracktype vehicle with an improved guard assembly for fully protecting drive motors, drivingly connected to laterally spaced track assemblies thereof, when the track assemblies are at both their maximum and minimum gauge widths.
  • Each drive motor is mounted on a sub-frame of a respective track assembly and the guard assembly is detachably mounted on a main frame of the vehicle to at least substantially enclose the motors.
  • the guard assembly is detachably connected to the main frame by a plurality of pin connections which further function to transmit towing forces to the main frame directly.
  • FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of a hydraulic excavator having a protective guard assembly of this invention attached thereon to substantially enclose and protect a pair of drive motors and attendant structures;
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the guard assembly and protected motors, taken in the direction of arrows II--II in FIG. 1;
  • FIGS. 3-5 are enlarged cross sectional views through the guard assembly, taken in the direction of arrows III--III, IV--IV and V--V, respectively, in FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the guard assembly, taken in the direction of arrows VI--VI in FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 7 is a partial top plan view of a gauge width adjustment means for the excavator, taken generally in the direction of arrows VII--VII in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a back side of a hydraulic excavator 10 comprising an upper unit 11 rotatably mounted on a car body or undercarriage 12 in a conventional manner.
  • the car body comprises a main frame 13 (FIGS. 2 and 3) having a pair of laterally spaced and substantially parallel endless track assemblies 14 disposed on either side thereof.
  • the main frame is attached to each of the track assemblies by adjustment means, such as the type disclosed in above-referenced U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 474,976.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates each such an adjustment means as comprising a pair of elongated slots 15 formed through a lateral extension of main frame 13, and cap screws 16 attaching a pair of plates 17 and the main frame to an underlying track roller or sub-frame 18 of a respective track assembly.
  • a pair of second parallel plates 19 are also attached to the sub-frame and cooperate with plates 17 to guide the track roller frame during the selective changing of gauge width W between its illustrated maximum setting and a narrowed minimum setting.
  • a final drive assembly 20 is attached to each track roller or sub-frame 18 by means, not shown, and is adapted to drive an endless track 21 of the track assembly in a conventional manner.
  • the power input to final drive assembly comprises a standard reversible hydraulic motor 22 operatively connected thereto and to conduit means comprising a pair of conduits 23 (one shown) for selectively communicating pressurized hydraulic fluid to the motor via a conventional operator control means (not shown).
  • a protective guard assembly 24 is connected to main frame 13 to at least substantially enclose motors 22 and portions of the conduits when the track assemblies are positioned at each of their maximum and minimum gauge widths.
  • the guard assembly is detachably mounted on the main frame by three laterally spaced releasable pin connections 25, 26, and 27. As shown in FIG. 2, the guard assembly comprises three upper cover members 28, 29 and 30 and a pair of lower cover plates 31 and 32, all suitably integrated in a manner hereinafter described to form a unitary structure. Since the guard assembly is substantially symmetrical on each side of a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle (FIG. 2), only one side of the guard assembly and attendant structures will be described in detail hereinafter.
  • centrally disposed pin connection 26 is disposed vertically above outboard pin connections 25 and 27 and comprises a vertically disposed pin 33 extending through a bifurcated bracket 34 formed centrally on the guard assembly and mounted on a rearwardly extending upper plate 35, forming an integral part of main frame 13.
  • Pin connection 27, for example, comprises a vertically disposed pin 36 extending through a bifurcated bracket 37 which is mounted by the pin on a lower plate 38, also forming an integral part of the main frame.
  • Pull hooks 39 and 40 are secured at a rearward, lower end of the guard assembly and plate 28, respectively, to provide tow-line attachment means adapted for towing other vehicles.
  • towing forces are transmitted through pin connections 25, 26 and 27 to main frame 13 directly.
  • staggered three point pin connection will afford multi-directional stability to guard assembly 24 during such towing.
  • Pull hook 40 may be utilized when the guard assembly is removed from the vehicle.
  • the guard assembly further comprises a horizontally disposed heavy duty lower plate 41 disposed therebelow to extend the full lateral width thereof.
  • the rearward end of the plate is welded to an upstanding plate 42, also extending the full lateral width of the guard assembly.
  • Plate 32 forms an integrated structure underlying a respective drive motor 22, along with a plurality of curved reinforcing plates 43 and vertically disposed plates 44 and 45 (FIG. 6), when the drive motor is disposed at its operating position dictated by the widest gauge width between the track roller frames.
  • Intermediate cover member 29 comprises a pair of curved plates 44 and 45 welded to bracket 34 (FIG. 5). The lower ends of plates 44 and 45 are welded to plates 41 and 42, respectively.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the relative positions of drive motors 22 when the rightward endless track assembly is disposed at its extreme inboard position, relative to main frame 13, and the leftward track assembly is disposed at its extreme outboard position relative thereto.
  • guard assembly 24 functions to at least substantially enclose the drive motors when the track assemblies are positioned at each of their maximum and minimum gauge widths.
  • the left hand motor is shown at an outboard position occurring during vehicle operation whereas the right hand drive motor is shown at an inboard position for narrowing the gauge width during shipping of the vehicle.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
US05/524,075 1974-11-15 1974-11-15 Protective guard assembly for track drive motors Expired - Lifetime US3930549A (en)

Priority Applications (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US05/524,075 US3930549A (en) 1974-11-15 1974-11-15 Protective guard assembly for track drive motors
CA229,870A CA1019022A (en) 1974-11-15 1975-06-23 Protective guard assembly for track drive motors
BE1006830A BE832501A (nl) 1974-11-15 1975-08-18 Door rupsbanden ondersteund voertuig
FR7526701A FR2291080A1 (fr) 1974-11-15 1975-08-29 Dispositif protecteur pour moteurs d'entrainement de chenilles
BR7505900A BR7505900A (pt) 1974-11-15 1975-09-12 Veiculo do tipo de rastros continuos e conjunto de protecao e de resguardo
DE19752550398 DE2550398A1 (de) 1974-11-15 1975-11-10 Schutzanordnung fuer kettenantriebsmotore
JP50135760A JPS5929462B2 (ja) 1974-11-15 1975-11-13 キドウクドウモ−タノ ボウゴガ−ドソウチ

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US05/524,075 US3930549A (en) 1974-11-15 1974-11-15 Protective guard assembly for track drive motors

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3930549A true US3930549A (en) 1976-01-06

Family

ID=24087661

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US05/524,075 Expired - Lifetime US3930549A (en) 1974-11-15 1974-11-15 Protective guard assembly for track drive motors

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3930549A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
JP (1) JPS5929462B2 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
BE (1) BE832501A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
BR (1) BR7505900A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
CA (1) CA1019022A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
DE (1) DE2550398A1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
FR (1) FR2291080A1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4084653A (en) * 1977-04-19 1978-04-18 Caterpillar Tractor Co. Protective guard arrangement for track drive motors
US8573505B1 (en) * 2010-04-01 2013-11-05 Dana A. Hennessy Thawing system for machinery undercarriages

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4716011A (en) * 1985-10-09 1987-12-29 Westinghouse Electric Corp. BWR fuel assembly bottom nozzle with one-way coolant flow valve

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2833361A (en) * 1955-04-01 1958-05-06 Eimco Corp Vehicle and frame structure therefor
US3712398A (en) * 1970-03-19 1973-01-23 Orenstein & Koppel Ag Hydraulically operable device for changing the track width of track-laying vehicles
US3797598A (en) * 1972-04-03 1974-03-19 Caterpillar Tractor Co Guard assembly for track drive motors

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2833361A (en) * 1955-04-01 1958-05-06 Eimco Corp Vehicle and frame structure therefor
US3712398A (en) * 1970-03-19 1973-01-23 Orenstein & Koppel Ag Hydraulically operable device for changing the track width of track-laying vehicles
US3797598A (en) * 1972-04-03 1974-03-19 Caterpillar Tractor Co Guard assembly for track drive motors

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4084653A (en) * 1977-04-19 1978-04-18 Caterpillar Tractor Co. Protective guard arrangement for track drive motors
US8573505B1 (en) * 2010-04-01 2013-11-05 Dana A. Hennessy Thawing system for machinery undercarriages

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2291080B1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1980-03-28
CA1019022A (en) 1977-10-11
JPS5929462B2 (ja) 1984-07-20
BR7505900A (pt) 1976-08-31
DE2550398C2 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1988-03-17
DE2550398A1 (de) 1976-05-20
FR2291080A1 (fr) 1976-06-11
BE832501A (nl) 1976-02-18
JPS5172028A (en) 1976-06-22

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: CATERPILLAR INC., 100 N.E. ADAMS STREET, PEORIA, I

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:CATERPILLAR TRACTOR CO., A CORP. OF CALIF.;REEL/FRAME:004669/0905

Effective date: 19860515

Owner name: CATERPILLAR INC., A CORP. OF DE.,ILLINOIS

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:CATERPILLAR TRACTOR CO., A CORP. OF CALIF.;REEL/FRAME:004669/0905

Effective date: 19860515